Godly

adj.kind, thoughtfulformal

What it means

Deeply devoted to God and guided by the moral demands of that faith.

Reach for it when praising religious character inside a context that shares the term's theology

Neighbors remembered her as a godly woman whose faith appeared in practical care.

warm
saintly
extraordinary patience or goodness invites affectionate praise
not when Saintly exaggerates ordinary decency and may imply formal sainthood.
professional
devout
sincere, committed religious belief is the exact point
not when Devout does not claim that the person's moral judgments are correct.
professional
virtuous
ethical character matters without making a theological claim
not when Virtuous removes the person's relationship to God.
formal
holy
the tradition regards a person or thing as sacred
not when Holy is stronger than godly and can imply consecration or divine status.
formal
pious
visible devotion and religious observance are central
not when Pious can sound ironic or suggest a show of virtue.
formal
righteous
conduct conforms to a stated moral or religious standard
not when Righteous can sound smug and may be used outside religious devotion.

godly person
A godly person, in his view, welcomed correction as well as praise.
godly life
The memoir presents a godly life through daily acts of mercy.
godly counsel
She sought godly counsel from leaders she trusted.

Godly is a theological judgment, not a universal synonym for good. Use it only when the relevant faith context is clear.

The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.